The telecommunication network is based on numerous standards, which collectively define the framework for an interoperable and reliable telecommunication infrastructure. These standards define the specifications and requirements for the communication services, the equipment used, and their operations. Although these standards have been instrumental in the success of the telecommunication network, the telecommunication network is comprised with an abundance of proprietary equipment and complex network management systems, which require significant costs, time, and effort to manage. Communication equipment is typically design with specific functionality with dedicated media interfaces, such as wired and optical Ethernet. Examples are a Router with five RJ45 Ethernet ports and two optical SC fiber port, or an Ethernet switch with twenty optical LC fiber ports. Although these examples of specific design communication equipment are cost effective, the fixed functionality and dedicated media interfaces cannot address all service applications such as monitoring or TAP, redundancy, on-demand, security and testing or troubleshooting.
Prior art communication equipment used for monitoring services is designed with dedicated media interface, such as wired or optical Ethernet. The telecommunication market is very competitive, which the market demands more cost effective and efficient services. To achieve competitiveness, the telecommunication network must simplify and become a unified platform of services and equipment. The telecommunication network is slowing evolving towards this optimization model. The optimization in services involves standardizing on Ethernet as the telecommunication services. The optimization in equipment is to use commercial off-the shelf (COTS) equipment or white boxes. White boxes are equipment with generic standard hardware, but the equipment functionality is upgradable and provisionable with software. Software defined networks (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) provide the framework to achieve this optimization.
Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) units are standardized units adapted to be inserted within a chassis. A suite of specifications, produced by the SFF (Small Form Factor) Committee, describe the size of the SFP unit, so as to ensure that all SFP compliant units may be inserted smoothly within one same chassis, i.e. inside cages, ganged cages, superposed cages and belly-to-belly cages. Specifications for SFP units are available at http://www.sffcommittee.com/ie/index.html.
SFP units may be used with various types of exterior connectors, such as coaxial connectors, optical connectors, and various other types of electrical connectors. By way of further background, small form factor pluggable modules are used to provide a flexible means of providing communication services for the telecommunication network. The mechanical form factor and electrical interface are defined by an industry standard multi-source agreement (MSA). The pluggable module is typically deployed on communication network equipment such as an Ethernet switch, a fiber multiplexer, or media converters. SFP transceivers are designed to support optical and wired Ethernet, TDM SONET, Fibre Channel, and other communications standards. Due to its small and portable physical size, SFP's are defined through multisource agreements (MSAs). MSAs are agreements for specifications of pluggable transceivers agreed to by vendors and service providers or users. MSAs allow other vendors to design transceivers to the same specifications reducing risk for vendors and operators, increasing flexibility, and accelerating the introduction of new technology. MSAs for SFP pluggable modules are define for XFP, XPAK, XENPAK, X2, XFP-E, SFP, SFP+, QSFP, QSFP+, and CXP technologies. MSA define the SFP pluggable modules electrical, mechanical, and software characteristics for the applicable functionality. MSA-compliant pluggable transceivers are standardized among equipment vendors and network operators to support multiple sources for pluggable transceivers and interoperability. As such, MSA-compliant SFP pluggable transceivers have become the dominant form of optical transmitters and receivers in the industry.
MSA-compliant SFP pluggable modules ensure product interoperability between various applications and end-equipment. Due to the low cost, size, and interoperability, small pluggable modules are used extensively in all communication service applications (cell backhaul, metro, and core network applications).
Presently, communication equipment using SFP devices prevent the use of other vendors SPF devices. This restriction prevents the Service Provider the ability to use more cost-effective SFP devices. This restriction also prevents the Service Provider from using more available SFP devices, and this restriction can prevent the Service Provider from deploying or restoring services.
In general, different prior art communication equipment can provide different functionality such as monitoring, security, and protection switching. The following prior art references provide general background information regarding the monitoring of communications networks, and each are herein incorporated by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,293 entitled Method and Apparatus for Monitoring Telecommunication Signals, issued to Mahoney on Feb. 3, 1998.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,233,613 entitled High Impedance Probe for Monitoring Fast Ethernet LAN Links, issued to Walker et al. on May 15, 2001.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,975,209 entitled In-Line Power Tap Device for Ethernet Data Signal, issued to Gromov on Dec. 13, 2005.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0159008 entitled System and Method for Monitoring End Nodes Using Ethernet Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) in an Access Network, published to Sridhar, et al. on Jul. 20, 2006.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0257262 entitled Zero-Interrupt Network Tap, published to Matityahu, et al. on Nov. 17, 2005.
The following prior art reference provides general background information regarding the security of communications networks, and is herein incorporated by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 8,000,682 entitled Apparatus and Method for Restricting Access to Data, issued to Tischer, et al. on Aug. 16, 2011.
The following prior art references provide general background information regarding protection switching for communications networks, and each are herein incorporated by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 7,443,789 entitled Protection Switching Mechanism, issued to Glaser, et al. on Oct. 28, 2008.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0031129 entitled Smart Ethernet Edge Networking System published to Arseneault, et al. on Feb. 7, 2008.